Less Mess

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. - 2 Corinthians 10:5

You may have heard the saying, "Oil and water don't mix."

I was talking with a friend the other day, about how the same principle applies to fear and faith. As we circled her block for the fifth time, I was reminded of something that God taught me over a decade ago. We cannot operate in fear and in faith at the same time. They simply cannot share the same space.

As I've journeyed through this thing called faith, the Lord has given me hundreds of opportunities to choose. Whether it has been a relationship decision, an issue of attitude or the belief in a hopeful future -- I've noticed something about some of the ways I have handled this issue.

I've gotta come clean this morning, and confess that my auto pilot (when I am not purposefully taking those thoughts captive) will steer me in the direction of fear. Feeling the need to somehow keep myself guarded (as if God needs my help) I have been closing myself and my heart to dozens of possibilities that embrace change. Because change has no guarantees, I've been reluctant. My autopilot takes me right down to the bottom of a slimy and unbecoming pit, telling me that faith is too costly. But is is really?

When I hold fear and faith up to the light, I notice something today. The only one that offers a guarantee is fear -- fear guarantees defeat. Faith, on the other hand, while holding an element of the unknown (which can be scary in itself) holds the possibility of something better and new.

God is calling me to step away from fear, and to embrace the possibilities of a new beginning. Am I nervous about it? Yes, I am shaking in my shoes! But standing in this puddle of fear leaves me feeling all washed up.

Take hold of faith my friend. God's promises are worth the fight. I hope you will join me in reaching this broken world . . . faith is the only chance we've got.

Choose the side with less mess.

(I will be taking a week away from blogging, for some fun family time. Join me next week . . . I will be posting all of the lessons I've learned from my down-time.)